Pressing On

Update on the Great Adventure

June 10th, 2010 Filed under Intentional Living, Walk by Faith 2 Comments

Message from God If you read my earlier post, you know that I am on a great adventure!! Since resigning from LifeHouse of Houston in February, the Lord has continued to led me on an amazing walk and through it all He has shown Himself, once again, so faithful. God continues to reveal confirmation after confirmation to not get a “real” job but to do my own consulting and coaching business. God has demonstrated this to me in a really cool way – almost like a postcard in the mail – people have called (and continue to call) asking me to work with them. To date, all of my engagements have been prompted by my clients. How much clearer does He need to be?

One of my clients, The Master’s Program for Women (TMP), is a unique three-year program of life-designing and coaching that encourages women to discover and pursue God’s plans for their lives. It has been developed to answer their deepest questions as well as help them gain a new understanding of their Kingdom Calling – that one thing that God created only THEM to do for His Kingdom. TMP focuses on one’s ability to manage the foremost issues in their life, including their faith, family, career, relationships and the varied opportunities to serve.

I went through TMP as a participant beginning in 2006 and as I applied the tools I gained in the program, I became more balanced in my life. I experienced increased margin in my day to day living and gained a clearer focus of God’s calling on my life. I believe that these last five months would have turned out totally different if not for the coaching and knowledge I received through TMP!!

The time commitment is only a 5-hour class once a quarter that will include lectures, small group activities as well as fellowship over a meal. The same group of ladies stays together throughout the three-year time period and has a great opportunity to experience community. The “homework” each quarter can be a couple of hours or several days just depending on what peaks her interest. On a quarterly basis, I will also meet one on one with the participants to give personalized coaching on her greatest area of need.

The first class is starting in just a few weeks on July 1st!! And so, the adventure continues….

How is Your Heart?

May 22nd, 2010 Filed under Bible 2 Comments

Doctor Monitoring Patient During Health Check I had just sent off my 2009 tax return along with payment to the IRS – so grateful that it was MUCH less than I had anticipated – when I clicked over to TweetDeck to read the latest twitters. As a scrolled through, I decided to check out this news story from FoxNews.com:

Some tax day fun: RT @WhiteHouse See Obama and Biden’s tax returns http://bit.ly/ci7qTb

And this is what I learned…the President and the First Lady filed a joint tax return and their adjusted gross income was $5,505,409 and reported donating $329,100 to 40 different charities, which is just short of 6% of their income. Meanwhile, the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden did not do quite as well, both in income and charitable giving. Their adjusted gross income was $333,182 and they contributed $4,820, which is 1.5% of their income.

As I have pondered this over the past month I have gone from amazement to anger to apathy until I heard some stats my pastor shared in his sermon this past Sunday. At Houston’s First Baptist Church (HFBC), 50% of our members gave zero to the church in 2009. Thirty percent of the members gave less than a $1,000. It is that 80/20 rule all over again – over 80% of the budget was carried by 20% of the people. Now, I am sad.

What saddens me, and what saddened Pastor, is that if 80% of the members of HFBC are giving so little financially to God, have they encountered God? Have they really given their hearts to Him? Based on what Jesus said I believe the answer to that is no. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Pastor Gregg made it so clear that it is not at all about the money. God does not need our money, He desires our heart. You see if we encounter God, we have to respond to God – in worship, in service, in obedience and in giving of our time, talent and treasure. And what is so amazing is that when we respond to God, we will once again encounter God and the circle continues.

So my question to you today is where is your heart? Is it going to take a treadmill stress test for the Lord to know if your heart is fully His? Do you need some CPR? He challenges us to test Him in this area and says, “…see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:10) Why don’t you test Him and see if you don’t encounter Him in a profound way?

The Great Adventure

April 29th, 2010 Filed under Walk by Faith 5 Comments

Compass

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, God has me on a new race – a new adventure – and I am thrilled!!! Right now I do have a road map of sorts and a Compass that always points True. So, to answer the questions that I am hearing from so many dear friends and family, this is what I am up to…

Stewardship Consulting God has opened several doors of opportunity in this area. People have been contacting me and asking if I would be willing to help them. I have several projects lined up that will pay the bills for the next few months – praise the Lord and have several more strong prospects.

The essence of what I am doing is summed up in the tag line, “Serving Others…Better.” I am coming alongside those who are serving, ministering, touching others and help them do it even better – especially in the areas of fundraising and operational excellence. Helping them be better in the stewardship of their time and treasure. Be looking for a tab real soon on this website that says “Consulting” so that will have more information.

Writing a Book This is really a God-calling! For years, I have been encouraged by many to write a book but I have never done it because I did not have the time and it was too much work. Well, at least one of those excuses is out the window and after writing 15,000+ words so far the second excuse is becoming less formidable. The book is primarily autobiographical and many never get in a published form but for now I am clearly called to write it and we will go from there.

The Master’s Program for Women (TMPW) I am probably most excited about this opportunity. The mission of TMPW is “To prepare Christian leaders to change their world and build God’s Kingdom through their irresistible lifestyles and influential works of service.” It is a 3 year long program that is comprised of 12 interactive meetings (one a quarter), 12 notebooks filled with practical, hands on information, almost 30 books and, of course, personal coaching from me.

To accomplish the mission, TMPW teaches LifeMastery. The first year is focused on the personal realm (body, mind, soul and spirit). In this realm one exercises discipline. The second year is focused on the family and professional realm (marriage, children, career/volunteerism and resources). In this realm one exercises authority. And lastly, the third year is focused on the Kingdom realm (the Church and the world).

The first session for Houston will be Thursday, September 16th. However, I know that God will open other cities (i.e. Atlanta, Tampa, Dallas, etc.) as I continue to seek His face and find favor with Him and His people.

There you have it! Steve Curtis Chapman was right on when he sang, “This is a life like no other – this is The Great Adventure.” And, what a Great Adventure I am on!!!

So, what about you? Are you in an at-ease position or are you at the ready? What Great Adventure are you on?

Faith Walk in Action

April 28th, 2010 Filed under Personal, Walk by Faith Comments Off

“Any leads?” “Are you staying in Houston?” “What are you up to these days?” These questions and others have been the conversation starters of many of my visits with my friends these past 30 or so days. How blessed I am to have so many who truly care about me as well as what my future holds?

As many of you know, I have felt much like Abraham these past few months. From the Bible, Hebrews 11:8 tells us, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” I was definitely called to leave LifeHouse and upon my resignation, was not the least bit certain of where I was to go next. But, I loved this recent tweet by Suzanne Eller, gave me great comfort “God didn’t ask Abraham to leave his country as a sacrifice, but to move him closer to the promise…”

As I shared in an earlier post, God has given me some direction but it still has been one of the strangest faith walks I have ever been on. What has been so unique about this walk is that instead of being in an “at-ease” position between steps – you know, where you take a step with the left foot and then bring your right foot parallel to your left and stand. This walk has looked more like this…

Next Step

And since much of this came down during the winter Olympics, apart from the skin tight suit, I have felt a bit like this…

Speed skating start

In the ready. On my mark. Awaiting the starter’s gun. Not wanting to miss the signal but also not wanting to get ahead of the voice of God.

Well, now, after being back from vacation for two weeks, I definitely feel like I am in my stride in this next season of my life. There is joy in my steps, my yoke is easy and my burden light. Tomorrow, I will share exactly what I am up!

Why I’m Content in My Singleness #3

April 10th, 2010 Filed under Personal Comments Off

In my two earlier posts, I shared reasons for my contentment in my singleness. The first one I shared was that if I were married my focus is divided and instead of just focusing on pleasing the Lord, my focus is on pleasing my husband. The second reason is that if I marry I will still have troubles – different than if I were married but still troubles. The final reason is that if I were married my body would not be my own.

Back to I Corinthians 7 again where it says in verses 4 and 5, “The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” The issue of sex in a marriage is a huge source of troubles in many marriages. For many women, life starts happening, schedules get busy, children come along, etc. and their desire for intimacy wanes. Meanwhile, the level of desire has not decreased in their husband. So there is conflict sometimes when the husband snuggles up to the wife and desires sex.

However, what the Bible says is that when a husband desires intimacy from his wife, unless she can convince him to pray, she needs to say yes so that Satan does not get any foothold in the marriage. If I were to marry, my selfish ways would be quickly revealed and I am certain that this would cause conflict especially because I love sleep!!

Why I’m Content in My Singleness #2

April 7th, 2010 Filed under Personal Comments Off

In Monday’s post, I that for the most part I am very content in my singleness but there are days were I struggle. On those days, there are three Truths that I remind myself about that helps me to re-gain perspective. The first one I shared was that if I were married my focus is divided and instead of just focusing on pleasing the Lord, my focus is on pleasing my husband.

The second Truth I want to share about today comes from I Corinthians 7:27-28, “Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.” Here is the Truth: if I get married I will have trouble. Now, as a single, I will have trouble as well – different trouble – but still trouble. And not only do I still have troubles but now I have troubles with someone else.

I sometimes think if I get married all of my troubles will be gone. If I just got married, I would be living on Easy Street and things would be go smoothly. The hard things in life are because I am single. But that is such a lie and the Truth is that I will have troubles, difficulties and challenges – not the same kind if I were single but still I would have them.

When I am eating dinner alone and I see a couple enjoying dinner together, I remind myself that if I were married I would have trouble. When I am traveling by myself and see a husband carry his wife’s bags, I remind myself that if I were married I would have trouble. When I am struggling to make big decisions, I remind myself that if I were married I would have trouble. These reminders keep me focused on the fact that marriage is a wonderful thing but being married will not eliminate problems from my life.

On Saturday, I will share the third and final reason for finding my contentment in my singleness!!

Why I’m Content in My Singleness #1

April 5th, 2010 Filed under Personal Comments Off

For the most part, about 90% of the time, I am completely content in my singleness. I truly view singleness as a gift and enjoy it! However, those 10% times when I am not content, my mind wanders through the reasons why I would love to be married. I would love to be married because when done right it is just a great example of Christ and His bride, the church. I would love to be married because of the companionship that it would provide. I would love to be married Worship because decision-making by myself can be so hard.

It is at these times that I remind myself of the three Truths that help me gain perspective. The first truth is that if I am married my focus is divided and instead of just focusing on pleasing the Lord, my focus is on pleasing my husband. Paul says in I Corinthians 7:32-35, “I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife—and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband.”

Paul is not saying that it is wrong but that is just the way it is. Once I marry, if I want to please my Lord, I please my husband because my husband has become my number one ministry. As a wife, my calling is to be my husband’s helpmeet…his helper…his mission becomes my mission.

This does not mean that I don’t ever do “godly” things. That doesn’t mean I am not serving the Lord outside the home. Obviously my relationship with the Lord is still primary but how it is manifested in my life most often is in serving my husband. But being married will cause distraction in my life. As a single woman, I am not distracted at all. I am free to move to Africa and minister or stay in Houston and serve in my church’s women’s ministry. I can pack my bags and move back to Atlanta, live in a friend’s basement and write my book or I can flip burgers at McDonald’s and write my book in Houston. I am free to go or stay as the Lord instructs.

This also applies to the day-to-day things as well. If I want to purchase something, I go and buy it. I don’t have to check with anyone. If I want to go away for the weekend, I do not have to look on his calendar to see if we are free. I can just do it. Cereal for dinner—fine. Movie on Saturday afternoon—no problem.

When I get a little restless and desiring to be married, this first truth helps me to get my perspective back on track. I remember that as a single, my only focus is the Lord and I am not distracted by the concerns of the world. On Wednesday, I will share the 2^nd Truth that helps me to gain perspective.

90 Days

March 22nd, 2010 Filed under Walk by Faith 13 Comments

Ninety days ago most of us were finishing up last minute shopping, putting the finishing touches on the menu for Christmas dinner and even packing to spend the holidays at home. It is amazing how much your life can change in 90 days!!

Friends of mine still have unopened gifts because their loved one suddenly died before he could open his present. Others have been let go of jobs that they thought would be a lifetime career. I also know of friends were joyous things have happened – babies being born, marriages restored and houses sold!

Personally, when I boarded my flight back to Houston on New Year’s Day 2010 I never dreamed I would be where I am today. No longer at LifeHouse of Houston. Starting my own consulting business. Writing a book. The goals I had in my mind on the first day of the new decade have gone out the window. But, there is great peace in my soul because I know that “the mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

Despite the peace, there are mornings when I awake and wonder, “What am I doing?” Even, “What is God doing?” However, the Lord encourages me as I read His Word, re-read my journals and check back in with my counselors concerning the steps I have taken these past 90 days. For the first time in my life in such a big way, I am being courageous. Because courage is really not courage unless you are afraid and you do it anyway.

So before you know or I know it, another 90 days will roll past. For me, I am excited about my journey and my struggle will be to enjoy it and not get too caught up in the destination. What will your journey be like these next 90 days? Are you being courageous or are you playing it safe? Are you excited or are you dreading it? Regardless, I pray you can sing with me the words from Robin Mark’s song, All is Well: “All is well with my soul! He is God – in control. I know not all His plans but I know I’m in His hands.”

Fruit Trees in the New Land

February 26th, 2010 Filed under Bible 1 Comment

One of my favorite things about the Bible is that it is so RICH!! No, this is not about prosperity preaching but rather the wealth found in the Word of God. One can be a disciple of Christ for years and have read a verse a dozen times and each time the Holy Spirit reveals something new. A rhema word. A fresh revelation. A deeper understanding. The author of Romans said it best, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!” (Romans 11:33 NIV)

One of my 2010 goals is to read the Bible through in a year. My pastor, Gregg Matte, has said that Leviticus is the graveyard for many “read the Bible through in a year” plans. Well, this is exactly where I am right now in my reading, Leviticus – the book of the Law. However, this morning, the Word almost jumped off the page at me. It was one of those rhema moments!!

Nestled between the law on having sex with a slave and to not interpret omens are these three verses:

When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, then you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten. And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. But in the fifth year you may eat of its fruit, to increase its yield for you: I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:23-25 ESV)

During the first three years of living in the new land, the Israelites had to plant the seed, tend the sow, pull weeds, pray for rain, pray for sunshine and then at the harvest time, I guess, they threw the fruit away. In the fourth year, same amount of work but now instead of throwing it away it is given to the Lord as a praise offering. Then finally, the fifth year comes and they are able to reap what they have sown.

How does this apply to me today as I sit in the middle of the 4^th largest city in the US and don’t even have a yard let alone a garden to tend? Spiritually, there is ground that my forefathers and I have surrendered to the enemy. As I walk out the statues of God in love for Him, I am gaining back this ground. I am coming into new lands. There is great celebration in the victory but for me to have FULL ownership of the land, to no longer be under guardians (see Galatians 4:1-4), there is work to be done. And this work is hard and long.

I am willing to do the work to gain that full ownership. Willing to wait a long time between sacrifice and blessings. I don’t just want to be a squatter on the Promised Land the Lord has granted me but I want full ownership. The full inheritance!!

How about you? First, are you even seeking to take back surrendered ground? To enter into the Promised Land? Secondly, Have you gained some ground but grown lazy in the labor? Have a hoe but are just too tired to deal with the weeds? Finally, are you willing to wait for the fullness of time? A mark of spiritual maturity is how long you can wait between obedience and reward!

Oh the depths of the riches of God’s Word!! I don’t understand the law two verses later that says ” do not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard” but I do know that God has a reason for it and in the fullness of time I will know. However, in the meantime, may I tend my lands well!

Time at LifeHouse

February 22nd, 2010 Filed under Ministry, Walk by Faith 4 Comments

Life has been a bit challenging for me lately. Here is a quick update on what is happening… After much prayer and counsel, the Lord has confirmed that my time at LifeHouse has ended. I resigned on the 10th of February and my last day will be March 31st. There is much sadness in my heart but I have full assurance that this is the next step I am to take.

iStock_000004237399XSmall Recently, a dear friend of mine shared a word with me that has given me a great comfort for me these last few weeks. ”Obedience is more important than understanding.” As I have been walking this path these last few months, I have often asked the Lord, “Why?” and He has not answered. He has simply said take the next step. He truly is only revealing to me my next step and it is long after the sound of the previous foot fall fades that I hear, turn to the right or turn to the left – walk this way.

Praise the Lord that He has taught me to live a very frugal lifestyle and to live debt free. Because of that, I have the ability to take the time after my last day at LifeHouse to wait, pray, study, rest, etc. so that He may reveal to me the next step. I don’t know what the future holds but I do KNOW these things:

1. He holds the future.
2. He loves me BIG.
3. This path is for my good and His glory for if there was a better path for me to walk He would have taken me down that path rather than this path.
4. He who began a great work in me will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.
5. The plans He has for me are to prosper me and not to harm me; to give me hope and a future.
6. The plan is much bigger than I can imagine and there is excitement in that.

As the Lord brings my name to your mind, please pray for me as I walk through this new season in my life.

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